Phainon twirled the "Dawnmaker" greatsword in a clean flourish, and the ominous, ashen substance clinging to the blade dissipated as if purified by an invisible force.
He sheathed his sword calmly, his posture so elegant he didn't look like he had just cut down several crazed Mara-Struck, but rather like he had just finished a morning swordsmanship practice.
Welt stepped forward and adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses complex and hard to read—there was inquiry, shock at the staggering strike just now, and a certain persistence of "I must find out if this is another Kaslana-style joke."
"Mr... Phainon,"
Welt weighed the address carefully, his tone solemn.
"Once this Trailblaze mission on the Luofu is concluded, could we... find some time for you to tell me about your hometown in detail? Any detail will do."
He had to find out!
This similar appearance, the subtle phonetic connection of the surname, and that sword technique just now which faintly carried a certain "Might of An-Utu" style of oppressive weight... If he didn't figure it out, he definitely wouldn't be able to sleep tonight! He'd have to take two extra bottles of stomach medicine!
Phainon seemed a bit surprised by the request but did not refuse, nodding slightly: "I understand, Uncle Yang."
"That was amazing!"
March 7th had already come skipping over, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Phainon, then at the remains of the incapacitated Mara-Struck on the ground.
"A few swishes and it was all over! Even faster than Mr. Dan Heng poking with his spear!"
Dan Heng, who was silently putting away cloud piercer nearby: "..."
Stelle, however, scratched her head and looked at Phainon, her face showing clear confusion: "He... seems weaker than when he was in the Simulated Universe?"
She recalled that shocking scene—Stella summoning Phainon in his prime within the Simulated Universe; the pressure he exerted just by roaring at "Nanook" had made her body tremble.
By comparison, although the battle just now was clean, it felt... like it wasn't on the same level?
Hearing this, Stella immediately wore a helpless "don't even mention it" expression and explained in a low voice: "There's no other way! The Simulated Universe is a 'playground' built by Ms. Herta. I don't have to consume energy in there, so I can summon the 'prime state' of characters. Of course it's cool as hell! But this is reality, sister!"
She pointed to her head, as if showing a non-existent mana bar.
"In reality, they need to grow step by step, and the strength they display will be 'corrected.' It's like... well, a low-spec trial version? Anyway, as long as they can fight, it's fine!"
Just as Stella was working hard to explain the "power system," Dan Heng, who had been keeping a vigilant watch on the surroundings, suddenly spoke up, interrupting the discussion on power scaling: "There's movement ahead. Not just the scattered Mara-Struck from before... there's the scent of living people. They're surrounded."
Everyone's expressions tightened. They immediately stopped their chatter and moved quickly in the direction Dan Heng indicated.
After passing through a passage piled with discarded cargo crates, the view suddenly opened up.
In the center of the platform, the situation was critical: about seven or eight Mara-Struck soldiers in various states were let out guttural groans, slowly closing in on three figures backed against a large shipping container.
There were two scarred Cloud Knights soldiers, supporting each other as they barely held up their blades, and the person they were protecting behind them...
It was a slender Foxfolk Maiden.
She had silky long hair, and a pair of fluffy brown fox ears that twitched slightly from tension, while the voluminous Tail behind her was tightly curled up.
She held an exquisitely crafted Silk Fan tightly in her hand. Though her face was somewhat pale, her eyes remained steady.
Stelle's gaze was instantly and firmly attracted by those signature fox ears and Tail.
Almost blurting it out, she pointed at the Foxfolk Maiden and shouted in an excited tone, as if she had discovered a rare species:
"It's a Vixen!"
The air froze.
Time seemed to be stretched and fixed at this moment.
Stella, who had just pulled out a Quill and was about to summon the Memory Spirit Mem to help, instantly froze in place: "..."
Mem, who had been summoned and had just spun in the air to make an elegant debut, blinked its large eyes in confusion: "Mem?" (Translation: What is she saying?)
Welt, who was about to release a black hole, stumbled in his step, his cane nearly missing the ground: "..."
Phainon, also ready for battle, had his hand on his sword hilt pause imperceptibly: "..."
March 7th's mouth formed an "O" shape, and her pink-and-blue head slowly turned toward Stelle, then slowly toward the Foxfolk Maiden, her eyes filled with the shock of "Stelle, you've done it now!"
Dan Heng silently took a long, deep breath, then raised a hand and pressed it against his forehead.
This action usually meant he was enduring some kind of massive mental shock or required an immense amount of patience.
The Foxian in the team, Bai Heng, was stunned at first, then her ears suddenly perked up as she pointed at herself with a look of disbelief: "???"
Bailu, who was worried about the wounded, also looked up blankly: "???"
And the Foxfolk Maiden surrounded by the Mara-Struck—Tingyun—had the expression on her face instantly freeze.
Her beautiful eyes widened into circles, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind, all summing up to one meaning: Are these people reliable?